Vertical an horizontal circulation on "Salt Lake City Library"



In every building, the way in which the circulation is distributed determines an important and necessary element in establishing the relationship between the parts and a whole of a structure. To define the basic shape and character of a building, we have to describe its horizontal and vertical circulation. And today, I’m going to take as an example the Salt Lake City Library.

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Central Library Plaza
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Main entrance

The first thing we have to analyze is the access to the building, the road that leads to the main entry. To go into this huge library, we find a frontal approach, a path that goes right to the central library plaza. This plaza let the users have an initial relation with the library and it’s also a place to share with friends and family. Once inside, the user still feels the connection with the outside and must experiment the sensation of commodity that the spacious main hallway gives to the people.

The differences between each floor are clearly marked by the balconies on the main and south halls and by the oval stairs, which have a pleasant rest halfway from one plant to another, besides the elevators, which conect the floors, while providing a wonderful view of the library.These elements give the building a good and interesting vertical circulation.

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Main hall
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Oval stairs


The Salt Lake City Library is a beautiful and comfortable structure that fulfills its function as a place to relax, reading an interesting novel, or just studying in a place where you can move freely straight ahead or to the upper levels. It’s definitely a place to fill your mind with a good architectural design image.

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Study area (South Hall)